Residents were evacuated and some were treated for the possible effects of smoke inhalation. The affected flat was completely destroyed by the fire which burnt through the roof of the building.

The cause of the fire is not yet known and emergency services are on the scene this morning, Saturday, October 3.

A man, 32, has since been arrested in connection with the overnight blaze.

Detective Sergeant Michael Hawthorne said: "The 32 year old man has been arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life and he is currently in custody assisting police with their enquiries.

"We are lucky that we are not dealing with any serious injuries as a result of this fire and I would ask anyone with any information about this incident to contact detectives at Musgrave Police Station on the non emergency number 101. Or if someone would prefer to provide information without giving their details, they can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers and speak to them anonymously on 0800 555 111."

"The police very quickly were able to take residents to a community centre on Dee Street, the whole place was evacuated, around 19 flats.

"It was one of the top floor flats and it was completely destroyed and gutted in the fire. It was a very intense fire and we had a battle to extinguish it. The rood burnt through.

"There were a couple of people treated on the scene for the possible effects of smoke inhalation.

"We do not know the cause yet and are making enquiries with the PSNI this morning.

"There did seem to be a fire alarm as residents had evacuated when we arrived but this is the start of our fire safety week coming on Monday so it is certainly advisable people check their smoke alarms are working."

The Woodstock Link was also closed to traffic for a time while the fire was brought under control.

East Belfast MP Gavin Robinson praised the response by statutory agencies and said the attack was "reckless" and could have resulted in a "real risk to life".

"I want to pass on huge thanks to the PSNI, Fire Service, Housing Executive, Belfast City Council and Belfast Trust who all responded to this emergency," he said.

"This was a reckless attack resulting in a real risk to life but thankfully there were no injuries. All the residents have either been accommodated with family and friends or by NIHE and the Trust.

"An arrest has been made but the coordinated action of so many agencies helped ensure the outcome was not much worse."

Alliance councillor David Armitage praised authorities for their “quick and positive” reaction to the fire.

“I want to give my thanks to Belfast City Council for opening Dee Street Community Centre and reacting so quickly to the incident, and to Belfast Trust and the Housing Executive for finding new accommodation for residents,” said Coun Armitage.

“Vulnerable people need all the support they can get. Residents of this shelter need to have a sense of security to help live their lives with confidence and the impressive response by the authorities to this incident will help give them that assurance.”